Ex-BRUR VC Kalimullah sent to jail in graft case
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order after Kalimullah was produced before the court by police. The investigation officer of the case pleaded to keep him behind bars until the end of the probe.
A Dhaka court today (7 August) sent former vice chancellor of Begum Rokeya University Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, to jail in connection with a corruption case involving the misappropriation of the university's development project funds.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order after Kalimullah was produced before the court by police. The investigation officer of the case pleaded to keep him behind bars until the end of the probe.
During the hearing, Kalimullah, told the court that he was suddenly arrested by the DB of police after breakfast this morning. "I did not object," he said.
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In response, the judge said, "Why would you object? You have to go to jail. Just like you go to the grave alone, you also go to jail alone if you commit corruption. No one accompanies you. Those who commit corruption rot in jail, while many of their relatives enjoy foreign trips with the embezzled money."
Kalimullah then said, "Your Honour, if you don't mind, may I say something? I am a commissioned officer, a Grade-1 person."
The judge replied, "For now, you have to go to jail."
Earlier in the day, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested Kalimullah from his residence in Mohammadpur.
On 18 July, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against five individuals, including former vice chancellors AKM Nur-un-Nabi and Kalimullah.
The three other accused are former executive engineer of the university Md Jahangir Alam, and contractors, Md A Salam Bacchu and MM Habibur Rahman.
According to the case documents, the accused tampered with the design of the university's development project, ignored the approved Development Project Proposal (DPP), and signed a Tk30 crore project contract without the approval of the ministry or the relevant division.
They also facilitated the embezzlement of Tk4 crore, realised as a security deposit from the contractor of the government.
Despite there being no law on advance payment in the contract with the contractor, the advance bill was paid and the bank guarantees given against the bill were released before the advance bill was reconciled.
A second consulting firm was also appointed in violation of government procurement rules, disregarding the drawings or designs provided by the first consulting firm.
Earlier in the day, the same court also imposed a travel ban on all five accused after granting a petition filed by the ACC.
